Riho x Shido
by Ellerosa
Summary: Riho contemplates whether Shido and eternity really go together. Will he stay with her? Or is there something else going on with someone else right under her nose? I don't own Nightwalker btw...


_Eternity. Shido had granted the gift of eternity to me, forsaking my death. I had said those words of encouragement to him for fear of death, but now I feared what I had been granted. The thought of eternity is cold and discomforting to me; Shido is now the only thing in my life that can ground me to reality. No matter what, I have resolved to stay by his side forever, for he is my salvation – he is my love._

Riho reflected this as she looked out across the night sky upon the balcony, admiring its endlessness and tranquility. It reminded her of death in its stillness. She was death's consort now, and would never again be able to walk the earth beyond its dark canopy. She did not regret her resurrection, but feared it and pondered the notion of never reaching an end.

Unconsciously, she whispered the name of her maker, quietly pleading for a source of comfort and warmth in this time of cold and nostalgic reflection. But he was not there. No, he was busy destroying the Nightbreeds that plagued his city. He was gone every night, and returned late every day to share a few fleeting hours with Riho until he departed once more. In those brief encounters, a warmth and zeal for living was reignited in her through the endless love she bore for him.

The soft sound of a key turning in its slot set her heart alight. Shido was home! A jubilant grin spread across her face as she stood, excited to greet him home. But as the door slid open and footsteps crossed the threshold, she was surprised to hear not one, but two pairs of footsteps enter her home. She tentatively peered towards the doorway from behind the curtain that shielded the lounge room from the sunlight during the day. Her cheery demeanor dissolved as she caught a glimpse of long mahogany tresses and seductive blue eyes.

"Riho, Yayoi's staying the night," Shido drawled, pulling off his coat. Riho solemnly nodded and hurried to the kitchen to poor some coffee. Shido always indulged in a cup of steaming coffee after a long day of work. But they were home early today, meaning that there was less work than usual.

"May I ask why?" she murmured nervously. Perhaps she shouldn't have asked, considering that the circumstances of Yayoi's visit might not have been so agreeable. The woman owned a large house and expensive car – why would she choose to stay here with them when she could retire to such luxury unless unfavorable circumstances had forced her to?

"Shido's a little run down after the case we just handled. I'm just here in case he needs the blood," Yayoi replied with an air of nonchalant arrogance. She and Riho were good friends, it was true, but sometimes Riho resented Shido's dependence on Yayoi, even if it was just for her blood. She felt as if there was some sort of connection that was borne between them from such an intimate act, which was only amplified by the pleasurable noises that Shido elicited from Yayoi's mouth when he fed from her.

Riho brought in two cups of coffee to the lounge room and set them on the table before Shido and Yayoi. She pasted a grin across her face, despite the heaviness in her heart, and enquired about their recent case.

"Just another Nightbreed," Shido replied, taking a sip from the steaming mug Riho had given him. "But this time, it inhabited a child. It was much more difficult to expel, given the vulnerable nature of the boy it possessed."

Riho nodded thoughtfully, and dwelled on the previous case where a mother had refused to let Shido expel a Nightbreed from her son, because it kept him alive. She shivered at the memory.

"Is he dead?" Riho asked quietly, trying to quell the nausea she felt at the death of a young child at the hands of a Nightbreed – one like her. Shido nodded slightly, and Riho refused to meet his sympathetic gaze. She knew that he pitied her for her tender human heart, and that as much as he pledged his love to her, pity kept her from being his equal.

"There was nothing that could've been done to save him. He died not long after the Nightbreed took possession," Yayoi explained, but Riho found that the elaboration only pulled at her heart more. She lowered her gaze and nodded; it was at times like these that she mourned their existence.

"Excuse me," she muttered before leaving to resume her pastime of stargazing and pondering on the balcony. Shido watched her go with a superficial sadness in his eyes; he had never quite understood her sentimental attachment to the Nightbreeds' victims. Though his sense of justice and morality was beyond high, he could not well comprehend compassion. He gently raised himself up off of the sofa to follow Riho, but Yayoi's firm grip pushed him back down. She leveled his confused gaze.

"Feed. You need to recover first," she said. Shido briefly considered her command, and finding that logic prevailed over his emotions, he leant forward to drink from Yayoi's neck.

On the balcony, Riho grimaced away from the pleasurable moans that sounded from the lounge room. Although she knew that Shido was only feeding from Yayoi, she could not help but let jealousy consume her. She shook her head violently and threw her hands over her ears. Her heart, already heavy from loneliness and the weight of eternity, ached and throbbed so much that she could hardly bear it. The times when she was alone with Shido reproduced happiness in her, and through that, she was able to cope.

"Ah! Shido!"

That was it! Riho snapped, her eyes feline turning a dangerous golden color. She hissed, bearing her protruding fangs and sprang up from her seated position. She felt heavy, as if her heart had plunged to her stomach and her chest was left a hollow cavity. Riho let forth a distraught growl, gripping her chest in frustration. Why couldn't she be emotionally independent of him? Then she wouldn't be burdened with this constant jealousy and aching pain poisoning her heart.

"Riho," she heard the gentle voice of Shido coo to her from behind, coaxing her, soothing her. "Clam down."

Her breaths were ragged as she clutched her bosom again, trying to hold her heart in place. If only she could reach inside and relieve her burden, to hold her heart and lull it to peace. She didn't realize that her nails had drawn blood with her incessant clutching and clawing.

"Riho." Shido's voice was firmer now. She felt his arms weave their way around her waist and secure her to him, his head resting gently on hers.

"Shido?" she whimpered. He shushed her quietly and hugged her tightly. She felt a familiar warmth gather around her as Shido's own body covered hers. Tears began to fall from Riho's eyes, and sobs began to quiver her body.

"Tell me what's wrong," Shido cooed, gently rocking their bodies from side to side. He glanced at Yayoi, who was watching anxiously from the doorway, and shooed her away. He had a feeling that Yayoi had something to do with Riho's distress. He truly hated seeing her like this, broken, and he hated that he knew nothing of her thoughts and feelings beyond that which he could see.

"My heart!" Riho cried like a scared child, ignorant and frightened of what was happening to her. Once again, Shido hummed gently to her, calming her ragged breaths and sobs. "What's happening to my heart?"

"Ssh, love. It's alright."

"No! It's not all right. I _need_ to know: do you love Yayoi, Shido?"

Shido was taken aback by the abrupt question. He had explained this so many times to Riho, but she still didn't understand that he loved _her_. He had no idea why she persisted in believing that he harbored feelings for Yayoi when-

_Oh_, he thought. _The drinking. _

Feeding from a human was an intimate and erotic act that drew forth pleasure from both parties involved. Riho had experienced it herself when she drank from Yayoi. Shido gently turned her in his grasp and gazed down at her big wet eyes. At that moment, he found her utterly adorable, irresistible.

"No," his voice trembled with emotion as he drew her to him once more and clutched her to his form. "No. Never."

Riho was silent and still, numbed from the distress that had just wracked her body. Her beating heart had returned to its rightful place in her chest, but it still ached for Shido. With Yayoi as a blood support, she knew that giving Shido pleasure and fulfillment would always be a shared task between her and Yayoi. _But I have his love and his heart. I have his body and soul._

"I love you, Shido," she murmured in a small voice. Shido huffed a relieved chuckle and planted his lips to her hair.

_I have her love and her heart, her body and soul. _

"I love you too – so much."

Those three words were enough for them both to last eternity.


End file.
